[SE] What ghost around, comes around

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

Soh surveyed the land below them, unable to tell where the changes that Deimos described had been made. For all she could tell, the world had always been shaped and carved like this, even when she knew otherwise. It was amazing, really, what Caido was capable of. She only needed to look to Stormbreak's remains for further proof: the Tower's remnants, though recently fallen, looked as though they'd been deserted for decades rather than a season.

I imagine there are pros and cons to such changes, she mused. What was lost, when the Fangs had split off from the Draig? What had fallen into the sea, never to be seen again? She supposed she could always delve into the depths with her shifts, if she was so inclined, but still... I could certainly stand to update some maps of my own. Especially of the areas she had never completed to begin with, like Halo.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us He managed a brief snort across the bond; sharing mental images of the before and after – the jagged heights of the Fangs, to the low, open terrain now, or the way the Sea of Glass had carved every wake, rather than the obsidian beach slanted and dragged along intermingling, icy thralls. It took time to acclimate to what had changed, but I think we all appreciate the Greenwing, at the very least. The hollowed out portions of the forest on the opposing end, with its man-sized spiders, was less of an indulgence; but they managed, regardless. No one can say Halo is just snow any longer. To which he granted a small smile, then lowered amidst the embankments of clouds and sky, self-assured along the horizon, dipping to trace and trail after lingering figments on the opposing sides. Leaving the map suggestion out there for her to take or snag as she wanted, the wind ruffled at his feathers, left the edges and plumage to embrace the chillier aspects, unbothered, eternally at home with the plunge of cold. Just be careful if you do. We still have our host of animals. That held no discretions towards snagging at someone, no matter their good intentions (save for ningos, perhaps). the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

Soh continued to coast through the air, riding the wind around the Fangs in Deimos's wake. It was strange to think how things had changed, but she supposed that was life. Everything - even the land - had to adjust to the world's various contortions. It's hard to imagine it without snow, she said, amusement coloring her voice. Perhaps I should visit the Greenwing again, to refresh my memory. It had been some time since she had gone out that way, and her maps of the tundra were long overdue for an update. I'll be sure to be careful, though.

A momentary silence fell as they drifted on through the sky. I never thanked you, she said suddenly, glancing over at Deimos through the clouds. For suggesting cartography to me, all those years ago. It had changed her life - allowed her to make money, and from that, given her the freedom to explore when she wanted. It was something she valued, and she never would have thought to try without Deimos's nudge in the right direction.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us True. It would not be Halo without all of that. But it is refreshing to see a touch of green. Halo would be renowned for its chill, and Deimos was fine with the rest of the world believing it to be simply that. Those who lived within knew better – of power and circumstance, of hardships and perseverance, of the stubborn, stalwart way they all banded together. The community, culture, and vibrancy of the region had grown; adapted, come to claim more than powder and cold, spires and walls rising from heaps of what had once been. Protected, shielded, and guarded, like stoic ramparts of the north, settled into their lives and whims. He took her assurance for what it was; for he’d seen her once nearly victim of creatures and cretins alike, letting the inward snort pass by, sailing out into the ether as it failed to hit its mark. Not expecting the gratitude, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a thunderbird picture of confusion before she extended the reasoning. Usually he was preserving lives, rather than funneling them into one channel or occupation; the expression of cartography had been a thought, a notion, for her to follow on her own – he’d just been the catalyst of ideas and machinations. She’d done the rest. You are welcome. It is nice to hear my advice taken for once, he granted with a jocular, amused tone, leaning into self-deprecation as a way to evade too many emotions. But you are the one who had to develop it. Take pride in your own endeavors too. Not to be crushed under the weight of the hardships; but to be impressed with how far she'd already come. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

If Soh realized that Deimos's amusement was a deflection, she said nothing, merely offering a sense of a smile through the bond in response. She wondered how often he had offered advice only to have it ignored and forgotten, if she was among the few or the many to heed him. In her case, it had worked out well. She'd had a thriving business before the Family had arrived, and she had every intention of having one again - if she could ever figure out where to base such a venture.

And, apparently, update her maps.

I'm very proud of my maps, she assured him warmly. She didn't say that it was one of the few things in life that she was confident she'd done well. It's been a lot of hard work to develop the skill and make them stand out. After all, there were plenty of cartographers in Caido. She was just one of many.

Soaring wide to avoid a low-hanging cloud once more, Soh snorted with disdain for the weather. Do you think there's anything nefarious about the weather these past few seasons? she wondered. Maybe I'm just paranoid after everything that's happened, but... it just seems like a lot.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Deimos always found it easier to deflect, to sink into someone else’s trials and tribulations, then to have anyone press in on his own. But, for all the things he’d offered and proffered and extended out to the world, sometimes very few seemed to take the messages. Maybe it was all time and place, or they’d rather experience the mistakes themselves – for no matter how much he might bestow, they had to be willing to listen in the first place. He granted a low snort through the bond, nodding as she set her sentiments to rights. The inquiry gave him pause though; it’d been a similar theory he’d been striving to develop when discussing things with Marcus, but it was just as unknown as the present strain in the weather. I wondered if there was something going on with the seasonal gods. Tanau seemed apologetic, at least. And this interim was focused on the Mathair – he could imagine Eirachi was bound to join in once Deepfrost hit them. I will take screaming rain over the Family, which he figured Sohalia would be inclined to agree, given everything she’d gone through with them, no matter how unnerving the shrieks had been. As long as it is not so devastating. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

The weather had been odd, and Soh, too, had wondered if something was going on with the seasonal deities. Of all of Caido's gods, they were the ones who seemed to show their faces the least, and therefore, she thought, perhaps more likely than the others to have something wrong with them without anyone knowing. But it was also true that Tanau had been apologetic, like the fires last season had merely been a whim gone out of control. So maybe there wasn't anything inherently nefarious about it, but simply a string of some very strange luck.

Fair enough, she said. I suppose at least the rain hasn't done any lasting damage - except maybe to my nerves. She laughed lightly. I wonder what it will be next season - if anything at all.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Deimos only had brief experiences with two of the seasonal gods – Mathair, largely avoided due to her threatening aspects of eating himself and Remi despite kindly escorting her back to the Greatwood, and Tanau, when they’d been defending portions of the Climb. Despite Eirachi’s obvious existence in Halo, he evaded notions due to the stories of deals and burdens; the region held her continued influence regardless. Though Sohalia’s wondering made him figure the wintry aspects could potentially be unfurled with the impending season, at least to a further degree. I would not put it past Eirachi to want to be included. Have you ever met any of them? In what prior thought and capacity, they could speculate all they wanted; a coldblooded calculation on his measures figured more and much of the same – lots of snow, chilling, cold. Maybe they’d receive ridiculous winds for the trouble. I am glad we made the Citadel a little more comfortable for Deepfrost. Just in case. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

Soh's limited experience with the seasonal gods had her offering a mental shrug. I saw Tanau last season at the festival, she recalled. But that's it. So far, she wasn't inclined to think that highly of deities who would wreak havoc on the world simply for - what? To be included in the series of unfortunate events? Maybe Eirachi would surprise them all and just leave them well enough alone in Deepfrost.

But that seemed unlikely, given the events of the past few seasons, so she offered a snort. I very much hope that the protection is unneeded, she said. Or at least... not more needed than it would normally be. Halo was, after all, going to be cold regardless of Eirachi's potential fit of rage - or whatever these seasonal weather patterns were.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Ah. I helped escort the Mathair back to the Greatwood and helped Tanau with an incident in the Climb. Which probably wasn’t that surprising – given how active and involved he ended up being within the plotlines of Caido. He granted his own mental shrug, as if the former experience wasn’t wholly detrimental and made him equally wary of the seasonal deity back in the forests. Perhaps they’d been more active in years past, before Family and in the midst of Ascended. Unfortunately, that didn’t lend any beliefs into how they might involve themselves; sometimes stories were just that. Flying a little lower but still plenty above the foreboding clouds, he shook his massive head. Ours is to ensure Deepfrost is not as cold, so it is beneficial regardless. The Warden put great stock into ensuring purposes held out – not one to be motivated by mere caprice. He would’ve asked what she intended to do for regional proportions, but if she wasn’t currently tied to one…Is Torchline working on anything? the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

Intrigued, Soh found herself drifting lower as she listened; flapping her wings, she regained altitude, where she held position at Deimos's side. Her experience with the seasonal deities was limited enough that she wondered about the incidents that Deimos described - where had the Mathair been if not the Greatwood, and what incident in the Climb had Tanua required help with? Interesting, she murmured. It's strange, to have deities we see so often and others hardly at all. Perhaps there were deeper reasons for it; she was not what one would call particularly knowledgeable about the gods, after all.

In any case, she followed along in Deimos's wake as he drifted a little lower. They are, Soh said, still not quite settled enough to say 'we,' despite having lived in Torchline for a while now. Some cannons, to protect the region. Honestly, she couldn't say more than that, her knowledge of the regional quest being somewhat limited.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Without the lingering curiosity or any other questions voiced, the Sword was forced to presume neither experience intrigued the Luminary; not enough to do anything more than comment on interest. His brows furrowed slightly, but then he shrugged inwardly; perhaps the notions weren’t all that inspiring. As for her only response on the matter, he couldn’t say one way or the other either, only speculations collected through the ether. It is likely some have a huge impact that we do not even get to see. He could think of Safrin, vying for an opportunity to rid them all of the Family, and multitudes of others striving to break through other portions before it landed upon Caido. Or Mort and his realm. Hovering over another larger portion of open mountain ranges, the thunderbird tilted his head, briefly amused at the semblances of cannons for Torchline. Sounds fun he mused, a tip of the hat to weaponry and armaments; always a fond favorite for the Warden. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

You know, she commented, musing aloud as they soared through the sky. For all my explorations, I don't actually have a significant relationship with any of the gods. I've only really spoken with Frey and Safrin, and Vi, once. But of course I know they have a huge impact on the world, both seen and unseen. She paused, pondering. What was it about Safrin that appealed to you? Curious, and perhaps hoping that the answer might guide her in her own decisions about the gods, she peered over at Deimos's winged form.

As for Torchline, Soh nodded. Certainly that's one word for it, she said, amusement trickling down the bond. She certainly knew that some of her friends, like Melita, would be ecstatic to have some new armament in place. For herself, she could understand the appeal, but it didn't excite her in the same way it seemed to do others. The healing fountain or other defensive, protective measures were more up her alley.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Her admittance did surprise him, but perhaps he’d built up presumptions of Sohalia’s various journeys. She’d needed to discuss plenty with various gods in order to get what she’d wanted from Stormbreak’s means to an end, and her own Attunement. He granted a quiet ‘huh’ that might’ve flickered through the bond, adjusting his height momentarily to gain a little more altitude on a passing, cold wind. I did not realize. I thought you had gained some upper hand with one, at least, he winked, snorting again. The inquiry thereafter was easy enough for him to answer though. She was the only one who had answered me. Coming from lines of Abandoned proportions, and holding no shame in that regard, had ensured his initial attempts at calling to the heralds and gods had withered to silence, or a mocking from the spirits. Only when he’d craved to have something for himself, an opening, a fledgling attempt on his soul, had Safrin been there. From there, she and I have helped each other on several occasions. She has had my loyalty ever since. Without chains and locks and keys. Has there been one you preferred over the others? the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left